renovation

Give Your Bathroom a Quick Makeover with an American Standard Speed Connect Faucet-Giveaway

January 9, 2015 by Kathryn 308 Comments

The holiday season is officially over and I have to say that I loved every minute of it! Visiting with friends and family is a huge part of our holiday season and that means that I have some extra work to keep my house looking its best. This year, American Standard helped me give my bathroom a quick facelift with a new Speed Connect faucet especially designed to be incredibly quick and easy to install!

The Speed Connect collection features over fifty stylish faucets that contain just four parts and install in mere minutes for the easiest update to your bathroom décor imaginable. I received the round Times Square Widespread faucet to review and I absolutely loved its sleek and modern design. The brushed metal finish and curved look made it a great compliment to any bathroom.

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Painting Jobs are Easier with the Roll & Stow System-Giveaway

November 18, 2014 by Kathryn 101 Comments

If there’s one thing I’ve gained a lot of experience with in the last few years, it’s home renovations. And painting always seems to be a big part of that. Since buying the house in which I was raised, almost every room has been renovated and painted. The kitchen, bathroom, living room and both boys’ bedrooms are now clean and modern with fresh paint and new flooring.

Having done so much work on the house, I know how messy and frustrating painting can be. In fact, I painted the entire living room by myself and it was a job that took days to complete. The results were fantastic, but there was a lot of mess to clean up afterwards. I couldn’t help but think there had to be a better way and luckily for me, now there is: the Roll & Stow!

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Tackling Home Renovations with Help from Canadian Tire-Giveaway

October 18, 2013 by Kathryn 333 Comments

One of my favourite things about being a homeowner is updating the look of my home, and with a house that’s over a century old, there is a lot to be updated! Room by room, I have been tackling projects and modernizing the look of my house, and recently Canadian Tire gave me the chance to update one of the rooms that I’ve been longing to tackle for months…my living room.

living room renovation before — This was the living room before the renovation. Since it was in pretty rough shape, I just covered it in kids’ artwork as I pleased!

The living room is fairly small, like most rooms in the house. The floor was covered with the same carpet that had been in the house when I was born, making it about 35 years old. Half the walls were drywall but the other half were still lathe and plaster. The room had been painted back when I was a teenager, but the beige shade was outdated and overall look of the room was rather haphazard and old fashioned. I couldn’t wait to tackle the job and turn the room into a comfortable and modern area for spending time with my boys.

canadian tire supplies — My assortment of renovation supplies from Canadian Tire!

Canadian Tire supplied me with a new power drill and an assortment of supplies to upgrade the look of my room and I couldn’t wait to get started. Since I was doing all the work myself, I decided to tackle the room one wall at a time rather than try to do too much at once. It was the right decision, because even repairing the damage to the existing walls was quite a job! But as soon as the first wall was washed, repaired, sanded and painted, I could tell that the work was going to be well worth it. The change in the look of the room was phenomenal!

living room — The bannister before and after painting. Benjamin had so much fun helping Mom!

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Anna’s Budget Tips-How To Give A Room A Facelift On A Budget

September 1, 2012 by Kathryn 4 Comments

Is there a room in your home in serious need of a makeover? Maybe a guest room is being transformed into a nursery, home office, or craft workshop. Maybe it’s time to transition a little kid’s room into one suitable for your big kid or teen. Or perhaps the use isn’t changing but the living room, family room, kitchen or master bedroom could use some updating. The good news is, even if your budget is next to nothing it’s possible to breath new life into a room!

Check out the following budget interior design tips and then tap into your creative side to give your room a low-cost facelift:

1) Think through your goals for the room re-do.

organized kitchen What isn’t working about the current room? Does the clutter drive you crazy? Add “better storage and organization” to your list of budget interior design goals. Other plans might include updating the color scheme, creating better traffic flow, or making a space that seamlessly accommodates several uses (guest room and home office, for example). By focusing on what you really need to accomplish with the renovation first, you’ll find that you keep those goals in mind throughout the project and can be assured the finished project will function as you’d hoped. [Read more…]

Update the Look of Your Room with Lighting Options from Lamps.com

August 19, 2012 by Kathryn 1 Comment

It’s taken some time, but our 100-year-old house is gradually entering the 21st century. Room by room, my husband and I have been painting, repairing and refinishing and after two years of work, the original house has just two rooms left that need to be updated: the living room and our master bedroom.

lamps.com minka-lavery calavera mini-pendant The living room is first on our agenda and has already undergone some updates. The old, dusty carpet on the floor was partially removed. The front door was replaced. Holes in the walls were repaired. And thanks to Lamps.com, the old seventies-style light fixture was replaced with a modern new ceiling light.

I was so excited when I was given the chance to review one of the ceiling lights from Lamps.com and as soon as I saw the Minka-Lavery Calavera Mini-Pendant, I knew it was the one I wanted. When the time comes to paint, the living room will be a rich, chocolate brown with white facings and trim to bring out the colour. The Minka-Lavery light had such a great modern look and best of all, its colour would go perfectly with the room after painting!

My husband installed the light the day we received it. I loved that it came with all the necessary hardware and even with an eco-friendly CFL light bulb. I also liked the way that the fixture included a number of rods so that the lamp could be as high or low as the room required. [Read more…]